Veterans (National Guard & Reserve)

This bill asks the U.S. Congress to authorize the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for U.S. military personnel who served in Honduras between 1981 and 1992. It is based on the claim that American troops faced hostile conditions during this period, including combat training and exposure to gunfire, resulting in at least 46 deaths. The resolution urges federal lawmakers to recognize these veterans with a medal similar to those awarded for service in other hostile environments. If adopted, the bill would require action by the U.S. Congress to change existing military award policies.

This resolution urges the U.S. Congress to pass the Major Richard Star Act, which would allow disabled veterans to receive both their full military retirement pay and full VA disability compensation without any dollar-for-dollar offset. The bill directly affects approximately 50,000 medically retired combat-wounded veterans who currently lose over $1,000 per month in benefits due to existing federal offset rules. It seeks to amend federal law to recognize that military retirement and disability benefits compensate for two distinct forms of service and sacrifice. The resolution is a formal request from the West Virginia Legislature to federal lawmakers to address this policy change.

This bill updates West Virginia laws to recognize military protective orders as valid evidence of domestic violence when seeking emergency protective orders from family courts. It defines a military protective order as one issued by a commanding officer in the U.S. Armed Forces, West Virginia National Guard, or another state's National Guard against someone under their command. The legislation requires law enforcement to notify relevant agencies of potential violations of these military orders and allows them to be used in petitions for temporary personal safety orders. These changes aim to improve how courts handle cases involving service members and their families by streamlining the process for obtaining protection orders.

HB 5377, the Burial Equity Act, expands eligibility for burial in West Virginia's state veterans' cemetery to include former National Guard and military reserve members (such as IMA, AGR, ART, and TR) who served at least four years, were West Virginia residents for two years before death, or served in the West Virginia National Guard, with retroactive application to deaths after March 15, 2022. It creates a Burial Equity Grant Program administered by Veterans Affairs, providing up to $1,000 per family to cover burial costs on a first-come, first-served basis. The bill also establishes a dedicated Burial Equity Fund in the state treasury, initially funded with $50,000 from the legislature, plus federal funds and private donations, to sustain the grant program without annual budget reversion.

HB 4368 defines "military-connected students" as children of active-duty, reserve, or deceased military members and establishes new enrollment and support rules for them in West Virginia schools. The bill allows remote school enrollment without physical registration using military orders (with options for temporary or permanent addresses), ensures equitable access to academic courses and extracurricular activities, and requires schools to provide counseling and support services when a parent is activated for duty. It also mandates prompt coordination for students with disabilities during transfers and permits military-connected students to remain at their school until completing the highest grade level offered there. These provisions directly affect military-connected students, their families, and local education agencies across West Virginia.

HB 4880, "The Deployed Servicemembers Protection Act," protects West Virginia service members deployed for 30+ days (including National Guard on state duty) and their families. It prohibits spouses from selling property/vehicles over $10,000, closing joint accounts, withdrawing over 50% from accounts, or removing children without the service member’s written consent during deployment and for two months afterward. The bill also requires returning children to the home of record within one week of the service member’s return. Violations are misdemeanors punishable by up to 30 days in jail, $5,000 fines, or civil liability. The law incorporates existing federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protections.